akwidow

Wow, Thanks everybody - I want to be able to give back the high five to all of you fighting the battle for survival so keep on fighting! Berta - Good thing about your checks not blowing away, eh? I am amazed they sent you a check when the eelectronic transmittal info was present for your account...mine is too. I went and looked at the 21-534 again like you mentioned and at the forums, but I still don't understand what REPS is...I read the whole form too. Does it have to do with having under age 18 children in the home? I am too young for SSI and am not classified disabled and have no children at home.

Yes, I would NOD, and send them the proof that they already hold, along with the date you sent it the first time. You should also site the regulations that support TDIU and how your medical conditions support TDIU. I sent in 250 pages the last time they denied me...I figured if they couldn't find it the first time, it would be there handy for them the second time. CUE's to the best of my knowledge are for claims that are already closed (tell me if I am wrong please) and involve legal errors or misapplication of their codes. Flying from the seat of my pants here - I am an understudy myself. The Sages will chime in and direct you down the right path. Never give up!

Well, there I was out on the snow shoe trail trying to get a bit of the muffin top off my middle and there it was laying there when I came home - "This award constitutes a full grant on appeal" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The DIC award letter was in the mail with the correct effective date. I was surprised - I expected to wait months... They attached the 21-8765 which was good...and I know that I am eligible for burial benefits so I will apply for that. I'll get vocal again when I see the money hit the bank account - and I already made sure my electronic information is in the correct hands. Never Never Never give up! AkWidow

unbelievable - the idiots! That's like saying that a vet who had his leg blown off and didn't know because of shock still had two legs!!! Put your sparring gloves back on Berta!

My DIC claim was denied at AMC - they rubber stamp denied me. I nodded to BVA, and I won. Never give up!

I agree with the sages- don't aggravate yourself unduly...and since you got the stamped copy in your hand before you left, it appears the skirmish was victorious for your side. I remember one time I was turning in a paper and the kid at the desk stamped it in on the back...said a front stamp would clutter up the front. I couldn't help but protest that that wasn't good enough for me.... but I let it go. I won't in the future however. I have learned a lot here.

yes, other things that have nothing to do with the DIC...time will tell. What a waste of time that letter presents when there is no subject to be referenced.

I suppose if it was easy, all the cheaters would be reaping the benefits of the truly disabled....

I received a classic "We have your claim and we have a large backlog" letter today. It says in the first line - " We have received your application for benefits." Some of you may remember that I won DIC at the BVA last month after six years of trying. While I realize that it will take time for the paper to make it through the mill so to speak for the award to be written, I was surprised to receive a letter from VA in St. Louis. My home VARO is Anchorage, AK. The other thing that makes me wonder what is going on is that at the top of the page under the case/file number is "Payee No. 10" and under that is my late husband's name. I have never seen Payee No. 10 before. The other other thing I am curious about is - does this concern DIC, or the CUE issues I brought up, or the death month of payment that I re-applied for two years ago and never received, or the old 1969 SC case he filed (That I never knew about) and which never got closure on in any way according to the BVA...which according to them may still be open. Interesting, eh? Is there a payment center in St. Louis, or do you think my case has been farmed out from Anchorage because of their low staffing and poor performance? news article - http://www.adn.com/front/story/1115575.html I know you all have things to do, but the answer may be easy and short due to your immediate experience. Or not, and thanks for reading anyway! 10 degrees and sunny today, I am going to snow blow the driveway...

Wow, I didn't know it could happen so fast, from appeal to award. Congratulations, and I am glad what you owed was not more than you received in retro!

Well there, you see, I thought Tricare WAS WHAT they got at the VA! So now I am going to have to ask more questions. To the best of my knowledge Dad (87) has no service connected maladies...but it has been just recently that they have started charging him for medical care. I know because my mother fell behind in paying the bills, and I saw a charge for an office visit. I'll be calling VAMC Monday to ask all the important questions. Thanks, Larry

just wondering if you got your retro yet....

Dad has tricare, being a retired National Guardsman. He also has Medicare. Can a person in this position use the supplimental coverage (medicare part a and :D to pay co-pays that the VA levys on the veteran?

It is so good to see a winner get paid! Contratulations....

you need to file that NOD!!!!

Way cool!

It looks to me that the people in this thread (other than myself) knows a lot more than your VSO does about your claims...and you should follow their advice ~ IMHO.

way to go buddy! how long was it from your decision to your deposit? I am waiting too....

try to think happy thoughts - and go eat something yummy like a low country boil. You will feel so good when you are full you will forget your troubles for a while! I am not from the south, but some snowbirds come here to alaska every year and they fed us this scrumptious meal - I ate so much I waddled away from the table...

and make sure you file that NOD with a certified mail return receipt or get a date stamp on your copy of the paperwork...you have to be able to prove that you met the NOD deadline set by VA.

Commander Bob - I agree with you about meeting and keeping folks here. I find myself looking forward to reading and replying to a number of folks here, and really enjoying them and others whether I want hear what they say or not. I find Hadit a definite enrichment to my life.

Well - if a novice like me can see the cue in your case, a law judge ought to be able to see it. good luck akwidow

In my humble opinion - resend your evidence with a NOD or a request for reconsideration in the existing claim that shows you deserve a higher disability than you are rated at, and send it certified mail return receipt, or hand carry it to the RO and ask for your copy to be date stamped at the time they receive their copy. Forum members, please tell me if I am wrong~ Baby steps may be small, but they get you there if the evidence warrants it.

Yes - congratulations - and please tell us your story...

Considering my observations that military personnel are not encouraged/discouraged from getting ANY kind of treatment while in uniform, I am not surprised that you did not seek treatment while in service. How could they be noted on your SMR's without treatment? Did you file for the VV within one year of separation? Are they noted on your entrance exam or exit exam? If they are on your exit exam without being on the entrance exam, they came about while you were in uniform. Even if they were on both, did your military service cause them to get worse? Either of these scenarios would cause SC, and there you go.